A Less Usual Punishment
by BlackFox12
Summary: Tag to season one, episode three. Realising that Archie will just keep sneaking out, Fred decides to utilise a different punishment. Does contain spanking.


**A Less Usual Punishment**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from the television series Riverdale and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** Tag to season one, episode three. Realising that Archie will just keep sneaking out, Fred decides to utilise a different punishment

**Warning(s):** Spanking; spoilers up to and including season one, episode three; some references to a murder; some references to a canon relationship between a teacher and her student

**Author's Note:** My niece got me into watching Riverdale and this plot bunny blurb bit and wouldn't let go. So here it is

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Archie couldn't stop the smile of relief that spread across his face at his father's words. Okay, he might still be grounded, but he was getting the support he needed. Maybe he still hadn't decided in his own head what he ultimately wanted to do with his life, but it helped to know that his dad was now on board with his music. "What did she say to you?" He was going to have to figure out a way to thank Geraldine later. Hopefully, she was going to feel better about him coming clean about the gunshot. There was no way the police would even think to look in her direction.

"She made it clear that she believes in you and I'm going to support you in whatever you choose to do," Fred said seriously. "But I won't tolerate you sneaking out behind my back when I've grounded you."

Archie hesitated. Surely his dad didn't know he'd sneaked out? No. He wasn't going to drop himself in it. He just shrugged and responded, "I don't know what you're talking about, Dad."

Frank sighed, eyes searching Archie's face. "Don't lie to me, son. I know you better than that." He paused a beat, just long enough for Archie to think he'd be in the clear. And then he said, "I saw you sneaking in."

Faced with evidence that damning, what could Archie say? Outright denying he'd sneaked out wouldn't work; that much was clear. It would only dig him in a deeper hole. And what if lying ended up with even more of his secrets coming out? Secrets that wouldn't hurt only him?

"I think we'd better continue this discussion inside, son."

Archie's stomach flipped at the words and the tone of voice. The note of disappointment. The last time he'd heard that? Well, he'd only been a pre-teen at the time. Surely his dad wouldn't...wouldn't... Archie swallowed hard.

"Archie. We're going inside now," Fred said firmly. Without waiting for a verbal response, he turned and walked into the house.

Wiping his suddenly sweating palms on his pants legs, Archie took a deep breath in and followed Fred into the house, into the living room, where his dad took a seat on the couch and looked up at Archie, mouth set in a firm, grim line.

"Dad, I..."

"No, Archie." He held up a hand to stop him talking. "I don't want to hear it. I'm through arguing with you and being ignored when I try to ground you. So I'm not going to ground you again. This time, I'm going to spank you."

"Dad, you...you can't be serious." Archie shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortably aware of how little he was able to speak in his defence. He couldn't think of a single argument other than, "I'm too old. I'm not a kid anymore."

"Could have fooled me," Fred replied. "You've not been acting your age, Archie. Lying to me and keeping dangerous secrets. Sneaking out. Ignoring me when I ground you."

With every word his dad spoke, Archie's stomach sank more. He found himself staring at his feet, his face heating up. Just like the kid his dad was accusing him of being. "I don't want a spanking." He now sounded far from a teenager. His tone of voice? It was just a little boy's. Trying to talk himself out of a punishment that, deep down, he knew he deserved.

"I know you don't." Fred's voice was firm. Decisive. He reached out and grasped Archie's wrist, drawing him down and across his lap.

As he was positioned over his dad's knees, Archie's stomach dipped and his breath hitched. He held his body tense for a few moments and then relaxed, letting his fingers grip the couch cushions below him.

The first slap of Fred's hand on the seat of his jeans made him jump, but it didn't hurt. Not really. The second and third smacks were a bit harder and stung a tiny bit, but not to an unbearable level.

With about three seconds between each smack, it took a while for his dad's palm to reach Archie's sit spots and thighs. When it did, he couldn't help squirming. While the pain was still bearable, those spots receiving attention definitely made him take more notice. He gripped the couch cushions tighter, because his instincts demanded he throw his hands back.

When Fred began again from the crest of Archie's backside, he wasn't swatting any harder or faster, but Archie's bottom was getting sensitive and the sting seemed to linger just a bit longer.

Still, it wasn't agonising. He could deal with it. Yeah, it was embarrassing; but he could live with that. And then Fred hooked his fingers into the waistband of his jeans and began to pull them down.

As if of their own accord, Archie's hands flew back, stopping the descent of his pants. "_No_, Dad." He tried to make his voice sound firm, but it was more nervous than he would have liked.

"It's about time you realised you're not in charge here, son." Fred calmly pulled Archie's hands away and held them tight against his son's back. In one fluid movement, he had the pants down around Archie's ankles.

The swat over his briefs stung just a bit more, with only the thin layer of his underpants between his bottom and Fred's hand. He swallowed hard, feeling the first hints of tears prick at his eyes.

This time, when Fred's hand reached his thighs, it was without any protection from clothing at all. Archie jumped at the crack of bare hand against bare skin and felt the sting blossom into an ache that had him jerking his legs in response.

As Fred started methodically over from the crest of Archie's bottom, he began to speak. "You don't need to lie to me and run around behind my back, son. I know you have secrets, but you should have come to _me_ first. Not let me find out what you were going through from the Sheriff."

Archie felt the tears begin to slip out of his eyes and before he could stop himself, he was crying hot, bitter tears. _How_ could he tell his dad the truth, without betraying Geraldine? How could he be honest with any of the adults in his life when his girlfriend would lose her job as soon as the secret of their relationship came out?

It wasn't until Archie felt his pants get tugged back into place that he realised the spanking was over. He lay over his dad's knees for a few more moments, letting Fred rub his back, and then carefully pushed himself up.

"Come here." Fred wrapped his arms around Archie and hugged tight. "I don't want you hiding things from me that are going to hurt you, son. Now is there anything else that I need to know about?"

Archie thought about it. He thought about his relationship with Geraldine and how disappointed his dad would be if he ever found out. _Worse_ than today. So he shook his head, hugged tighter to Fred, and lied...yet again. "No, Dad. There's nothing else."

**The End**


End file.
